ftm Radio Page - January 15, 2010

More smartphone apps for radio
Brand apps

Norway’s public broadcaster NRK unveiled smartphone apps on three platforms simultaneously (January 14). Two apps are offered, one for NRK radio channels generally and one for P3, the youth-oriented channel. Both are available for the iPhone, Nokia and Android platforms. All are free to download.

“Most Norwegians have mobile phones and the use of media content on mobile phones only increases,” said NRK’s digital media director Leif-Kjartan Bjørsvik. “As a license-funded public broadcaster, our aim and commitment is to be where the audience is.

In addition to the radio channels, the NRK apps offer access to all NRK websites, podcasts and weather forecasts. And don’t forget Twitter and Facebook.

According to Bjørsvik, quoted in journalisten.no (January 14), work on the smartphone apps began only in November. The software was purchased from a third-party and not developed internally. “We wanted to make the most impact for the new service,” he said. Apparently not all systems are perfect and NRK will be upgrading the compression to AAC in the spring. But some things are quite clever; on the iPhone app users can listen to the radio channels and do other things by running the sound through the Safari browser.

There’s nothing really new about broadcasters – or anybody else – developing smartphone apps. They are the rage. Simultaneously releasing the apps on the three main platforms is unusual but, again, not unheard of. And, too, radio channels from Norway are available on several apps.

What’s notable is the public broadcaster offering specifically branded services. Public broadcasters have come under fire from newspaper publishers and private sector broadcasters for all new media ventures. Germany’s ARD got a lashing from publishers for an iPhone app. (See that story here) (JMH)

RTL/de Mol consolidate Dutch assets
oldies station for "aging" Netherlands

Dutch radio station Radio 10 Gold is now in the hands of RTL Netherlands, confirming rumors swirling through the Netherlands since the end of the last year. Talpa Media, owned by Endemol founder John de Mol, transferred the asset in early January.

In 2007 Talpa Media transferred its Dutch television channel Tien and radio station Radio 538 to RTL Netherlands. John de Mol’s company received a 26% stake in RTL Netherlands. Radio 10 Gold was not, then, part of the deal.

"Looking at an aging Netherlands, it is wonderful to enrich our portfolio with a (station) that has much growth potential as Radio 10 Gold,” said Radio 538 managing director Jan Willem Brüggenwirth.

RTL operates four television channels in the Netherlands. In addition to RTL 4 and RTL 5, Tien was renamed RTL 8 and Yorin was renamed RTL 7.

Talpa Media continues to own Radio100FM in Denmark. (JMH)

Swift Boot At Arbitron
Company policy violated

A new year brings a new CEO to American measurement company Arbitron. President and CEO Michael Skarzynski resigned “abruptly,” said US media trade sources. Last January Stephen Morris, who had run Arbitron for eight years, was booted from the top job.

Arbitron has had a near monopoly on radio audience measurement in the United States for more than a generation. Under Morris the company developed and marketed a world-wide proprietary electronic measurement system known as the Personal People Meter – PPM. A changing tide in the American commercial radio business – read: near complete revenue collapse – made strategic changes necessary. (See more on Arbitron here)

Skarzynski arrived, unexpectedly, from a high-tech company rather than from broadcasting or advertising. His strategy – and presumably that of the Arbitron board – put a priority on marketing the PPM technology beyond that traditional radio and advertising client base. In short order many ‘radio dog’ Arbitron executives and staffers were dumped.

In its statement (January 11), the Arbitron board said Skarzynski’s departure had nothing to do with the company’s financial performance. That, as we’ve seen with the banking sector, is rarely reason to sack a CEO. It appears Skarzynski may have stretched the truth a bit in testimony to the US Congress. The Arbitron statement said Skyrzynski had “violated a company policy.”

Details on that will certainly become known over the next few days. A press call has been scheduled for later (US time) Tuesday (January 12). New York Congressman  Edolphus Towns said, in a statement (January 11),he had “received information that the CEO of Arbitron, Michael Skarzynski, may have provided false testimony at a December 2, 2009 hearing of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. As Chairman, I am committed to protecting the integrity of the Committee's proceedings, and will review this matter to determine whether the Committee was intentionally misled and whether further action is warranted.”

Congressman Towns’ committee questioned Mr. Skarzynski about technical aspects of Arbitron research methods, including the impact of minority sampling on broadcasters ratings.

Coincident to Mr. Skarzynski’s resignation, the US Media Ratings Council (MRC), an independent accrediting agency, declined to accredit PPM measurement for several market areas.

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Radio Page - December 11, 2009

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Radio Page - November 20, 2009

Radio Page - November 13, 2009

Radio Page - November 6, 2009

Radio Page - October 30, 2009

Radio Page - October 24, 2009

Radio Page - October 16, 2009

Radio Page - October 9, 2009

Radio Page - October 2, 2009

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Radio Page - September 18, 2009

Radio Page - September 11, 2009

Recently added radio audience figures

• Spain - National Radio Audience (11/12/2009)
  national channels, reach share, trend
• France - Paris Radio Audience (30/11/2009)
  national and local channels, market share
• France - National Radio Audience (18/11/2009)
  national channels, sectors, market share, reach/TSL
• Czech Republic - Radio Audience (11/11/2009)
  Top 12 stations, national survey, trend
• Slovakia - National Radio Audience (09/11/2009)
  leading stations, market share, trend
• UK - National Radio Audience (29/10/2009)
  market share, trend, sectors
• UK - London Radio Audience (29/10/2009)
  market share, trend
• UK - National Radio Audience (29/108/2009)
  BBC/commercial 'gap'
• Poland - National Radio Audience (24/10/2009)
  national survey, market share, trend
• Poland - Warsaw Radio Audience (24/10/2009)
  Warsaw survey, market share, trend

Also see ftm Knowledge

Europe’s Radio – Northern Europe – new

Northern Europe’s radio has a very digital sound. And change is in the air. Economic challenges abound for both public and commercial broadcasters. The ftm Knowledge file reports on Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and the UK. 72 pages PDF (December 2009)

ftm Members order here

Available at no charge to ftm Members, others from €49
Order

Digital Radio - Forward...slightly

Digital radio is slowly finding its way. Broadcasters are challenged by shifts in business models, audience expectations and regulation limbo. This ftm Knowledge file details the promise of digital broadcasting and the paradigm shifts. 83 pages PDF (June 2009)

ftm Members order here

Available at no charge to ftm Members, others from €49
Order